20 Simple ideas for your fall family bucket list

Jill is a sometime runner and expert wine taster from sunny San Antonio. She has a degree in social psychology, one husband and three children. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and Babble and she's regular...

Beat the Halloween hangover with these fun fall activities

Fall bucket lists are becoming more and more popular. And why not? It’s a great time of year to make a few goals for having fun together as a family. By the time fall rolls around, the kids are settled into school and the day-to-day family routine is probably pretty predictable. Taking time to jot down some ideas to help your family make the most of the fall season is a wonderful way to make sure you take time out for fun.

Here are 20 fun ideas for making the most of the fall with the people you love. None of them are particularly expensive or difficult, and you can tailor them to what your family likes and what’s available in your area.

1. Visit a pumpkin patch or a corn maze.

2. Go for a bike ride and enjoy the turning leaves.

3. Go apple picking… and then find a great recipe for apples that the whole family can enjoy. If there’s not an orchard near you, find a farmer’s market for the best, juiciest fall apples.

4. Go to a movie. There are a lot of great new movies coming out in November. Find one your entire family can enjoy together and make an evening (or a day) of it. Bonus points for finding a deal or a Groupon to make it more affordable.

7. Eat a caramel apple. (Bonus points if you make your own!) Most grocery store bakeries sell pre-made caramel or candied apples, but they’re not that difficult to make at home… just a little messy, but that’s half the fun.

8. Take advantage of any three-day weekends or school holidays. Most schools have a holiday or in-service day in November. Scope out the calendar, plan ahead and do something fun.

9. Go to the zoo.

10. Go on a hike.

11. Run/walk a fall family 5K or turkey trot.

12. Volunteer. Find something in your town in the spirit of “give thanks.” Give back.

19. Find a new Thanksgiving recipe. Scour Pinterest or pull out the recipe books and shake up your table a little bit.

20. Start a new tradition. Maybe you’ll love something on your bucket list enough to want to do it every year!

With the exception of hopping online to scope out recipes and directions, most of these family-friendly activities involve unplugged fun. Take some time to make some fall memories before the commercialism… err, the magic of Christmas sets in.